Formed sheet metal studs are commonly used in erecting drywall partitions, most commonly having a C-shaped cross-section. Extendible C-shaped studs have been used wherein one C-stud is slid into another slightly larger C-stud, larger by an amount equal to the metal thickness, requiring unacceptably close tolerances.
Another form of sheet metal stud that has been proposed for drywall construction is a Z-shaped stud, wherein the two opposed flanges of the stud extend in opposite directions from the stud web.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,606,418 and 4,461,134 each disclose a modification of a Z-stud in which the two flanges each have an inwardly turned outer lip and one flange is slightly larger than the other, again by an undesirably exact amount equal to the metal thickness, whereby, according to the teachings, in each patent, a pair of like studs can be interconnected by rotating one of the studs of the like pair through 180.degree. on a longitudinal axis, and placing the smaller flanges of each in the channels formed by the larger flanges and their adjacent webs and lips.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,079,884 discloses a Z-stud wherein a pair of like studs can be interconnected by rotating one of the studs through 180.degree. and placing the smaller flanges of each in the channels formed by the larger channels, requiring less exact dimensions by including a raised ridge in the center of each web, which ribs press against each other.